Pivoted inner jaw wrench



May 10, 1949.

G. L. WATSON, JI

PIVOTED INNER JAW WRENCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 9, 1947 Patented May 10, 194g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,470,007 rivorED' INNER JAW WRENCH Gilbert L. Watson, II, Chestertown, Md. Application April 9, 1947, serial No. 740,319 3 Claims. (Cl. 81-97) My invention relates to improvements in Figure 4 is a section taken on line l-4 of Figwrenches and more particularly to wrenches of ure 2; the open-end type adapted for use with articles Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of Figor meinb-ersof hexagonal shape such as nuts and are 4'; belts or the like so that when any one facet of the 5 Figure 6 is a section taken on line 6-45 of Figobject comes into alinement with any gripping ure 4; face of the wrench, all faces will align them- Figure '7 is a section taken on line 1-1 of Figselves. ure 4;

One of the principal objects of my invention Figure 8 is 'a detail View partly in section of the is to provide a wrench of this type having a 10 supporting member for the movable jaw; and plurality of fiat gripping faces or facets adapted Figure '9 is a detail view of the hexagonal nut to automatically snugly receive and positively or bolt which the wrench is adapted to grip. grip a corresponding number of facets 01' faces Referring more particularly to the drawings of the hexagonal article to be gripped and romy improved wrench is shown as comprising a tated, in one direction, while permitting free body portion l terminating at its outer end in a ratcheting or rotation of the wrench, about the fixed j'aw or curved head portion '2, and at its work, in a reverse direction. I inner end in a straight handle portion 3. The

A further object of my invention is to proinner surface of the curved head portion '2 is vide a wrench of the particular type described formed with two coacting fiat jaw faces 6-4 arhaving an increased number of flat gripping faces ranged at an angle of 60 to each other so that for gripping the correspondingly shaped fac'e's they will conform exactly to two side facets 5-5 of the nut or bolt, and thereby reducing the or any hexagonal object such as a nut 6 or a bolt, tendency to burr or distort the work engaged. not shown. A third jaw face l, also formed on A still further object of my invention is to prothe inner surface of the head or fixed jaw porvide a wrench of the open-end type having a fixed ticn '2 and connecting the jaw faces ll' at their portion with a plurality of flat gripping faces upper ends, is so placed as to be exactly parallel for ppin the pp and tw de face f to the upper facet '8 of the nut 6, when the ,jaw

hexagonal objects, and a sliding member m-ahfaces s s' of the wrench are in engagement with ually adjustable toward and. away from the fixed the facets 5--5 of the nut. jaw portion and supporting a movable jaw piece The inner edge or surface '9 of the body porhaving gripping faces for gripping the'bottom and tion I of the wrench is provided, as shown, with one side face of the hexagonal work piece, the a longitudinally extending recess Ill, adapted to movable jaw piece having a ratchet portion norsnugly but slidably receive therein a member H, inally spring pressed into engagement with a which in turn supports amovablejaw IQ for longicorrespondine ratchet portion on the s ding tudinal sliding movement therewith toward and membe t e e bei means for adjusting the away from the jawllceadZ. The supporting memtension of the sp i d t a an nt o her H has a straight rear edge or face It, which the parts being such that the work piece Will be is maintained in snug engagement with the inner ss it, while the front positively gripped and rotated when the wrench I rlbettom wall i l of the 'rece is moved in one direction and the wrench will or forwardedge or face l5 of member ll is formed automatically ratchet around the work when with a shoulder it for a purpose presently demoved in a reverse direction. scribed.

Ot er obj cts "and advantages W be pp Projecting from the lower end of member ll as the description is considered-inconnection with is an integral threaded stem like portion 11, the a p y w in Whichi which passes through and is threadedly engaged Fi r 1 is a id v w f h w h-s w n by a milled circular nut '18, the latter being loosely lot [9 formed in the body in full lines the movable jaw supporting member r iv d i a cross 5 V and the movable jaw in positi n fo pp a portion l, at right angles to and communicating hexa onal ob t of maximum s e a n dotted with the recess m. 'Man'ipulation of the nut 18, lines in position for gripping an object of miniin an appropriate direction, enables the user to num size; adjust the member H together with the jaw Figure 2 is a front edge View of Figure l; and piece 12, carried thereby, to their initial operative Figure 3 is a views-howing the reverse side of positions, for engagement with hexagonal work the Wrench to that shown in Figure 1 with "the l .pieces .of varying sizes. The straight rear edge parts disassembled. 13 of jaw supporting member "H, is maintained in snug slidable contact with the bottom wall I4 of recess ID by the action of a pair of links 20-20, pivotally connected at their inner ends by a pin 2|, which also passes loosely through registering slots 22-22 formed in the side walls 23-23 of recess ID. The outer ends of the links 20-20 are pivoted to the movable jaw member I2 by means of pins 24-24 which seat pivotally in the opposite ends of a transverse opening or bearing 25, extending through the member I2. It will also be noted that the movable jaw supporting member II is cut back to form the forward fiat inclined edge portion I and the shoulder I3, previously mentioned. This flat edge I5 is provided with ratchet teeth 26, intermediate its length, which coact with corresponding ratchet teeth 21 formed on and intermediate the length of the fiat rear edge portion 28 of the movable jaw I2. When the ratchet teeth are in mesh the coacting opposing flat edge portions I5 and 28 of the parts II and I2 also snugly engage each other. The shoulder I8 is provided with a threaded circular opening 29 which accommodates a set screw 29. A coil spring 38 seats at its lower end in the threaded opening 29 against the set screw 29, and at its upper end this spring bears resiliently against the bottom edge 3! of the jaw I2, and normally urges the movable jaw upwardly relative to the supporting member ll, a small pin 32 being employed to prevent accidental disengagement of the movable jaw and the upper end of the coil spring. While the link -20 and coil spring are constructed to maintain the ratchet teeth 26 in exact mesh with the teeth 21, during the working stroke of the wrench, as shown in Figure 1, the movable jaw I2, can be caused to swing downwardly and outwardly about pivots 2|, 24-24 for disengaging the ratchet teeth and permitting free reverse wrench movement about the nut 6. The pressure exerted by the spring 30 can thus be increased or decreased by screwing or unscrewing the set screw 29' with a suitable tool, not shown, such as a screw driver.

The faces of the ratchet teeth 2 B on member I I, are exactly parallel to the corresponding faces of the teeth 21 of the movable jaw I2, and the respective teeth are maintained in perfect mesh with each other by the expansive action of coil spring 30. Manual initial adjustment of the wrench opening 31, in either direction, to exactly accommodate a hexagonal object of a given size, is effected by turning the milled nut I8 in a, suitable direction. The movable jaw can be pulled downwardly manually against the tension of the spring 30 to admit the Work through the opening 31, or this can be accomplished by manipulation of the jaw face 34 against the work, or the wrench can be placed over work from a thread-axial position, that is, from either side. When the pressure against spring 3!) is relieved the latter will automatically move ratchet teeth 21 into mesh with teeth 26, and move work and wrench facets into precise alignment.

Movable jaw I2 is formed with a gripping face 33, identical in dimensions to faces 1-4 of the head or fixed jaw portion 2, and a portion of a second gripping face 34. These faces 33 and 34, which are disposed with respect to each other at an angle of 120, receive two of the six facets of the nut or bolt 6 being gripped by the fixed head or jaw portion I, for example, facets 35 and 36. As previously stated, downward movement of the movable jaw against the tension of spring 30, incident to the initial placing of the Wrench with respect to the object can be effected manually by manipulation against the object. When the work has thus been forced through the wrench opening 31 and into operative position, relative to the object 6, the handle 3 is moved to the left or in an anti-clockwise direction, viewing Figure l, and as the jaw-opening rotates about the object 6, in a clockwise direction, spring 30 causes the movable jaw faces 33 and 3:2 to move toward the facets 35 and 36 of the work. It will be obvious that when any one facet of the object comes into alignment with any gripping face of the wrench, all faces will align themselves. As alignment occurs, jaw I2 automatically moves upwardly into Figure 1 full line position, this being the only position into which the jaw can move because it is limited in motion and position by the action of ratchet teeth 26-21, links 23 and pins H, 24 and 24', and by coacting fiat surfaces I5-28 above and below the teethed portions 26-21.

In the position just described the object is engaged along the total length of three of its six facets, and the movable jaw I2 cannot further decrease the jaw opening 31, neither can it increase the latter, due to the pitch and shape of the ratchet teeth 26-21 and the pressure of work and jaw each against the other as the stock is rotated further in a clockwise direction. The object may be rotated any number of full turns or a fraction of a turn in the manner previously described. However if the wrench handle is swung to. the right or in a clockwise direction, the pressure just referred to is released, and the teeth 26-21 become disengaged. Continued rotation of the Wrench in this direction causes the movable jaw to swing outward and downward with respect to the movable jaw supporting member to allow free rotation of the jaw opening 31 around the work. It will be obvious that with each free 60 rotation of the gripping jaws with respect to the work, one complete reciprocal movement of the movable jaw will take place, thus allowing a new gripping of the work, if desired. At any time during ratchet or gripping stroke, a movement of the wrench handle to the right will release movable jaw I2 from its locked engagement with the member II, and further compression of spring 3!! will allow disengagement of the wrench from the object, from any position desired.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the inclination of the flat opposing edge faces I5 and 28, is such that the partial gripping face 34 of the movable jaw I2 will always be parallel to the gripping face 1 of the fixed jaw or head 2, and the inclination of gripping face 33 of movable jaw I2 will always be parallel to the jaw face 4, regardless of the extent to which the jaw supporting member I I has been adjusted through the medium of circular nut I8. It will also be noted that downward pressure of the work against the partial gripping face 34 causes the movable jaw during the unlatching stroke of the wrench to pivot slightly about the pins 24-24.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. An open-end wrench comprising a body portion terminating at its outer end in a fixed jaw portion and at its inner end in a handle, the inner face of the fixed jaw having two fixed flat jaw faces immovably disposed at an angle of 60 to each other to receive two facets of a hexagonal work piece engaged by the wrench, said body formed with a, longitudinal recess, a jaw supporting member slidably mounted in said recess, a movable jaw pivotally supported by said jaw supporting member, said movable jaw having two fiat faces immovably disposed with respect to each other at an angle of 120 and adapted to receive two more facets of the work piece, said movable jaw and said movable jaw supporting member having opposing ratchet teeth, whereby said teeth on said movable jaw may be swung into and out of engagement with the teeth on said jaw sup-- porting member, means for normally forcing said ratchet teeth into engagement with each other and the gripping faces of the movable jaw toward the gripping faces of the fixed jaw, said jaw faces of the movable jaw coacting with the jaw faces of the fixed jaw to engage the entire length of three facets of the hexagonal work piece, for the purpose of transmitting torque to said work when the wrench is turned in one direction, the

movable jaw being automatically pivoted about its pivot by the pressure of the work to disengage the ratchet teeth and permit free ratcheting of the wrench about the work when the wrench is rotated in a counterdirection.

2. An open-end wrench comprising a body portion terminating at its outer end in a fixed jaw portion and at its inner end in a handle, the inner face :of the fixed jaw having two fixed flat jaw faces immovably disposed at an angle of 60 to each other to receive two facets of a hexagonal work piece engaged by the wrench, said body formed with a longitudinal recess, a jaw supporting member slidably mounted in said recess, a movable jaw pivotally supported by said jaw supporting member, said movable jaw having two flat jaw faces immovably disposed with respect to each other at an angle of 120 and adapted to receive two more facets of the work piece, said movable jaw and said movable jaw supporting member having opposing ratchet teeth, whereby said teeth on said movable jaw may be swung into and out of engagement with the teeth on said jaw supporting member, means for normally forcing said ratchet teeth into engagement with each other and the gripping faces of the movable jaw toward the gripping faces of the fixed jaw, said jaw faces of the movable jaw coacting with the jaw faces of the fixed jaw to engage the entire length of three facets of the hexagonal work piece, for the purpose of transmitting clockwise torque to said work when the wrench is turned in one direction, the movable jaw being adapted to be automatically pivoted about its pivot by the pressure of the work to disengage the ratchet teeth and permit free ratcheting of the wrench about the work when the wrench is rotated in a counter or reverse direction and manually operative means for slidably moving and controlling said movable jaw supporting member in said recess.

3. An open-end wrench comprising a body portion terminating at its outer end in a fixed jaw and at its other end in a handle, the fixed jaw having two fixed fiat jaw faces inwardly disposed at an angle of approximately to each other to receive two facets of a hexagonal work piece engaged by the wrench, said fixed jaw having a third flat face connecting said two fixed fiat faces, a movable jaw supporting member slidably connected to said body portion, a movable jaw connected to said supporting member, said movable jaw and said jaw supporting member having coacting toothed portions, a spring normally urging the said toothed portions into mesh, said movable jaw having two fiat faces of unequal dimensions immovably disposed with respect to each other at an angle of approximately and adapted to receive two additional facets of the work piece, the larger of said last mentioned two fiat faces on the movable jaw being parallel to one of the first mentioned two faces of the fixed jaw and the smaller of said last mentioned two fiat faces of the movable jaw being parallel with the said third fiat jaw face of said fixed jaw, and means for sliding said movable jaw supporting member relative to said wrench body without disturbing the aforesaid angularity of the flat faces of the movable jaw with respect to the fiat faces of the fixed jaw.

GILBERT L. WATSON, 11.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 466,157 C'ook Dec. 29, 1891 968,816 Thorne Aug. 30, 1910 1,329,161 C'olson Jan. 27, 1920 1,966,773 Tilston July 17, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 268,643 Germany Dec. 23, 1915 

